Baseball player Ramos kidnapped in Venezuela

Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos has been kidnapped in his native Venezuela, a spokeswoman for his Venezuelan League team, the Aragua Tigers, said. Spokeswoman Kathe Vilera said via her Twitter account that "this is sad, worrisome and true that Wilson Ramos has been kidnapped." She said Ramos was taken by four armed men near his home in Santa Ines in central Venezuela. The Nationals acquired Ramos, 24, from the Minnesota Twins in a trade in July 2010. As a rookie in 2011 he hit .267 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs in 113 games. According to club officials, Venezuelan authorities have been informed of the abduction and have begun investigating. Jose Grasso, president of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP) condemned the kidnapping. "We have spoken with the authorities and we pray that Ramos is found safe and sound," he said. Kidnapping is not unusual in Venezuela, and many cases are resolved within hours or days after payment of a ransom. In 2009, the most recent year for which there are official figures, there were 16,917 kidnappings in the country, although some non-government organizations estimate the number is higher.